Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) made more crime-related insurance claims during the course of the last 12 months than they did in 2005, new research reveals.

Additionally, over half of all the money paid out for such claims was due to arson, according to financial services provider Axa.

Some 11 per cent of SME claims in Glasgow during the final quarter of 2006 resulted from arson, Axa states, making it the worst-suffering city for business crime of this type.

As a consequence of the research, Axa has called on business crime to be given more exposure in order to raise awareness of the phenomenon.

"We are extremely concerned that business crime rates across the UK continue to rise," said Axa's head of property, Neil Mercier.

"We are concerned that while crime against individuals continues to generate significant column inches, public awareness of business crime remains low."

Earlier this week, commercial insurance company Royal & SunAlliance suggested that business costs for dealing with yob behaviour increased £2,700 throughout 2006.